This invention relates to a ferrous metal detecting apparatus, commonly called a "chip detector," for detecting ferrous metal particles in a flowing fluid and, more particularly, to an automatic self-cleaning integrating ferromagnetic metal detector that will provide a series of step warnings to indicate the quantity of metal particles in the fluid. The detecting apparatus includes soft-iron pole pieces that can be magnetized and demagnetized. Upon collection of a sufficient quantity of metal particles to bridge a gap between the soft-iron pole pieces, a level detector will activate a logic circuit to demagnetize (degauss) the soft pole pieces thereby allowing the collected metal particles to be washed away by the fluid. The time required for repeated triggering of the level detector after remagnetization of the soft pole pieces is monitored by a timing circuit for an appropriate warning if the repeated metal particle collection to bridge the gap is within a predetermined time interval.